The secret is out
Rabbits are nibblers, chewers and destroyers and we like giving them interesting things to do. But, nearly every toy marked safe for rabbits isn’t. They are either made from dangerous materials and toxic processes, or their colours are nasty.
You have to be really careful about what it is made from and whether they can eat it.
Below is a list of stuff that bunnies may find in your house and whether it is safe or not for bunnies.
| Object | Information | Danger Level |
|---|---|---|
| Wires and cables | A.K.A spicey hay. Are dangerous and bunny may get electrocuted. | Can be deadly. |
| Fabric and plastic | Can cause gut issues. | Gut blockages can be fatal |
| Woods | Generally dangerous for bunnies. Steer clear of all wood. | Toxic |
| Curtains, drapes, blinds, furniture, carpet etc | Cause gut issues and GI stasis. | Dangerous |
| Cardboard and paper | Don’t give too much (or too often) to your bunny. Can cause blockages if swallowed. Will not be pooped out. | Dangerous/fatal |
| Pine cones | Bunnies love pine cones, but they are made of deadly pine. Don’t give them to your bunny to play with. | Dangerous/fatal |
| Cotton fabric or rope | Is not digestible. Will not disintegrate in the gut. | Dangerous/fatal |
| Jute fabric or rope | Disintegrates faster than cotton in the gut. Rabbit safe. | Fine in limited supply, beware of country of origin |
| Water hyacinth fabric or rope | Disintegrates faster than cotton in the gut. Rabbit safe. | Fine in limited supply, beware of country of origin |
| Sisal fabric or rope | Disintegrates faster than cotton in the gut. Rabbit safe. | Fine in limited supply, beware of country of origin |
| Synthetic man-made things | Plastic, carpet etc. Keep bunny away. | Dangerous/fatal |
| Walls, plaster, tiles, etc | Keep bunny away. | Dangerous/fatal |
| Metal | Bunnies may taste metal, but won’t eat it. Shards, or shavings in some poor quality foods can be found. | Dangerous/fatal |
| House plants | Bunnies love eating plants. All house plants should be considered toxic. | Dangerous/fatal |
Toys for your bunny
Shop bought toys are a waste of money. Let’s have a look at the fabulous jungle of dumb, dangerous and deadly toys available for unwitting bunny owners.
I have rated them delightful, dumb, dangerous or deadly and explained why. After that, it’s up to you.
Toys
These are called Nibblers. According to the packet, each nibbler is made from all-natural ingredients and coated with non-toxic food colourants.
All that is said is that it is made from wood – which wood? Pine? Cedar? Yew? Willow? What exactly?
Dyed with non-toxic food colourants – which ones exactly? Human safe food colourants or rabbit safe ones?
This product is classified dangerous. I would NEVER EVER give this to my rabbits because I have no idea what it is exactly.
Not sure what this is called, I’m going to call it a wooden skewer. It is dyed and made from wood which are two of the biggest no-no’s. It looks innocent, but I bet it isn’t. If a rabbit swallows the fibrous green carrot tops, it won’t be able to pass them because they are too long.
This product is classified dangerous.
What is this? It has been painted, not dyed. Most likely acrylic paint. Wow. You can kiss your bunny goodbye if you give this to them.
This product is classified deadly.
Ok, so grass products are generally tolerable. Green grass products have been dyed to make them look yummy. The green sticks, the green ball and the greet twisty-thing would be good if they were made from trustworthy products and not dyed. The corn and carrot are topped with dyed green paper, and the coloured yellow and orange parts would be something like twisted sea grass. The lollipops will be dangerous because there is no way to know what they are made from. The loofah circles are good if they weren’t dyed.
This product is classified dangerous.
Again, the same as the previous toys. Steer clear of all of these.
This product is classified dangerous.
These are painted wooden toys with paper tops. Which wood are they made from? Which paint was used? These are not safe.
This product is classified dangerous.
This is a jute twine wrapped cardboard tree. Jute is safe for rabbits, but only if it is undyed, so that cancels out the hanging carrots.
This product is classified dumb.
Bunnies love these balls. They are good to chew on. There’s just one caveat with them, they are made of various types of grass (sea grass, rattan, water hyacinth, jute etc) and most of the time these grasses are grown on soils filled with chemicals. That means the plants that grow on them suck the chemicals up and may also have those chemicals in them when they are dried. Sometimes when plants are dried, the chemicals increase in strength.
These balls should only be a once in a blue-moon treat, because of the chemical components. Unless of course you can be certain that they were grown on chemical-free soils.
This product is classified delightful.
Wood. All wood is dangerous, unless you prepare it yourself like fruit tree sticks. Any wooden toy should never be given to rabbits, especially to play with and chew on.
This product is classified dangerous.
Painted wood, hay twine, coloured blocks. Three things that should never be given to a rabbit.
This product is classified dangerous.
Simplicity is the key. A simple cardboard box filled with fresh grass and yummy safe edible bits is the best for a bunny. They would play with that and dig around in it for ages. Especially if it magically refills.
This product is classified delightful.
Cardboard packaging things, we all have them floating around. Add food and things the bunny can grab with it’s teeth and it will be entertained for a while.
This product is classified delightful.
Mats
This isn’t really a mat, it is a hangy-uppy foragey thing. And you’ve probably guessed it… wood. The woven mat itself is good, the small rattan ball is good, the undyed loofah is good and the tassels are OK. The rest are not good.
This product is classified dumb.
Grass mats like this are good, but don’t think of them as “food-good”. They are just a play thing that has no nutritional value at all. If you put pellets or treats in it, the bun will dig around in it looking for them. The thing that makes this mat dumb is the grass fibres it is made from, you have to be super careful about where it was grown due to the chemical composition of the soil.
This product is classified dumb.
Hides
Anything like this is disgusting. The wood is stained, it is held together with PVA glue. It is made of real wood and will make your pet feel like it is back in nature. Great anthropomorphism Petbarn.
This product is classified deadly.
This rattan (I think it’s rattan) hide is good, it is stable, good to chew on and hide under.
This product is classified delightful.
These look beautiful. But they are made from ply wood, which is toxic to rabbits.
This product is classified deadly.
Nice sturdy wooden box. It has been stained, which is toxic to rabbits.
If this product is stained it is classified deadly.
If there is a natural kiln-dried pine version, unstained, it is classified as dumb.
Looks good, but absolutely useless. No rabbit would ever be able to get up the ramp, it’s the wrong angle and it is covered with a cushion what has no grip (remember bunnies don’t have pads on their feet like dogs and cats). It has been painted to hide the type of wood it is. And that rabbit has been shoved in that gap, it doesn’t want to be there, just look at it’s face.
All cushions are chewable, and if they are filled with polyfill (teddybear fluff) it can block them up if they swallow it.
This product is classified deadly.
What is this and would any bunny actually choose to sit on it? I think they would rather chew it, which won’t be good for their belly. Cute bunny though.
This product is classified dumb.
Well, this is obviously foam covered with fabric. One bite and the foam will be bared and could be swallowed. That is a huge health concern.
This product is classified dumb.
Another dumb foam bed. Give a bunny 5 minutes with it and this expensive item will have holes in it. Be aware of the materials and fabrics that are used in bunny beds. Cotton can cause digestive issues and things like foam can block up the intestines.
This product is classified dumb.
What should you do?
You’re better off making your own out of paper and cardboard. But make sure that your bunny doesn’t eat too much paper-based products, it could cause blockages.
You can also make hay toys by scrunching up a ball of hay with herbs in it (parsley, thyme, dill, etc) and hanging it up for the bunny to reach up to rip apart.
Peg grass, herbs and foods up on a string and let the bunny reach up to get at it.
There are stacks of simple and effective toys you can make that don’t cost any more money.